upcoming dvd from the Leprechaun concerts....
from chick corea's webpage:

"The second exciting week featured a group of musicians Chick dubbed "The Leprechaun Band." This group featured Chick on keyboards, the great Steve Gadd on drums, bass legend Anthony Jackson, the amazing Ravi Coltrane on saxes and the Elektric Band's Frank Gambale.

This exclusive reunion focused on Chick's music from the 70's; revisiting tunes from the classic albums The Leprechaun, The Mad Hatter, My Spanish Heart and Friends. This group was really special because it was the first time Chick, Steve Gadd and Anthony Jackson--all musicians who were on the original recordings--had ever played the music live together!

To take things over the top, Chick and band played Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy from the first electric Return To Forever album. There's a special significance to this in that Steve Gadd was actually the original drummer for the electric Return To Forever band (a little known bit of fusion-lore) before Lenny White joined the group.

The gigs were documented with a very innovative video shoot using 15 miniature High Definition cameras placed around the stage at different interesting vantage points. The end result will make you feel like you're actually on stage and in the band!

Additionally, there are plans to make a special "instructional video" version of this film, where the viewer would be able to focus on a particular player in viewing the DVD. If you wanted to watch only Victor Wooten (or whoever your choice was) for the whole performance, from two or three camera angles, the viewer would have that flexibility. You could switch between all of the players individually or watch the show with the "conventional" edit.

It takes a lot of work to edit that many cameras and mix the audio in 5.1 Surround Sound, so you won’t likely see the release of this DVD until fall or winter of 2007.

You're going to love both of these DVDs which will most likely be packaged as a reasonably priced double DVD."

I've looked on Chicks' web page and haven't been able to find this. Am I missing something ?

I was at one of those shows, and stayed for both sets. Had I known that they were taping that weekend I would have waited. But needless to say, I have been long awaiting this DVD.

I got a chance to talk to Steve a little and was sitting with two guys who were in a band with him back in HS. There is a recording of Steve live with the electric band that was taped for a college radio station. It would be great if that ever surfaced.

You would probably want to hit me after hearing this, but I can't seem to find something SO speacial about this guy. overrated imo.
Yes he's very original, and yes he's a real groovemaster, but i can't seem to like him that much.
I have a feeling that ill be convinced otherwise after this thread.
Give some opinions and thought about him, I wanna see if i'm really the only one to think like that.

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

That's the point; he's not a chops monster but a musical drummer, and therefore his reputation extends beyond drummers into the wider circle of musicians. His tone, groove and musicality is what makes him stand so far above.

Look at it from the point of view that drums are purely musical instruments (no technical workouts independence competitions etc.), then all the chopmeisters would have to be considered over-rated as they don't acheive the same level of tone or feel. It just depends on the angle you look at it from.

That's the point; he's not a chops monster but a musical drummer, and therefore his reputation extends beyond drummers into the wider circle of musicians. His tone, groove and musicality is what makes him stand so far above.

Look at it from the point of view that drums are purely musical instruments (no technical workouts independence competitions etc.), then all the chopmeisters would have to be considered over-rated as they don't acheive the same level of tone or feel. It just depends on the angle you look at it from.

JC, I have great admiration for your patience and your very even temperament. You really should be a teacher...

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

If only I could be as tolerant as Jonescrusher - and as diplomatic as Aydee! While gritting my teeth and understanding that all opinions are valid (maybe) and by being as generous as I can be, I guess it all boils down to what you perceive are the important attributes to being a drummer. If you were a producer, hiring for a session who would you call? Thousands of producers agree - call Gadd. Whether or not Virgil or Lang have some chops that Gadd doesn't have is completely irrelevant and may or may not be true.

Very gracious of you, by the way, to reduce Gadd's legacy and contribution to music to his ability to play simple rudiments well.

You really should listen much more to his body of work before coming to such specious conclusions.

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

I'm sorry if I'm offending you guys, but that's my honest opinion of him; I honestly don't think he is the be-all-end-all of session drummers. There are other groovers out there in this drumming world that deserve a listen and some praise as well.

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

Mr.Gadd is right, considering Mr. Lang & Mr. Donati would also probably refer to him as Mr. Gadd.

Mr. Gadd was easily THE MOST 'in demand' session player in the history of the instrument. By a long, long,shot.The guy coming in second wasnt even close.

He was the Michael Jordan of drums

Everyone wanted him on their record, from folksy ol' Paul Simon, to Jazzy Chick Corea, to fusioneque Steely Dan, to name a few.

Now that should tell us something about about what people are looking for in a drummer.

Without getting into the groove v/s chops debate, which is the silliest thing drummers can possibly talk about IMO, may I recommend that you listen to Mr. Gadd's solo on Steely Dan's Aja, and his playing on Chick Corea's Leprechaun, to get a taste of what he can do when hes not plain grooving.

I agree with you there. He's a bit overrated compared to other drummers I'm hearing out there these days. But indeed, he's got the groove, and I can admire him for that.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

Well first of all man, if you can't hear Gadd's world class chops you neither have them yourself or even understand why people pursue them. You perfect major chops so you don't have to use them. Can you even imagine the discipline that has to take? That's what the beautiful thing about Gadd is. And its also why he can perfect that awesome groove that you wrongly think is something different from his chops.

I cringe when I read stuff like this because it just plays into the stereotype that people who are into the drummers with chops see only that at the expense of all things.

Mr.Gadd is right, considering Mr. Lang & Mr. Donati would also probably refer to him as Mr. Gadd.

Mr. Gadd was easily THE MOST 'in demand' session player in the history of the instrument. By a long, long,shot.The guy coming in second wasnt even close.

He was the Michael Jordan of drums

Everyone wanted him on their record, from folksy ol' Paul Simon, to Jazzy Chick Corea, to fusioneque Steely Dan, to name a few.

Now that should tell us something about about what people are looking for in a drummer.

Without getting into the groove v/s chops debate, which is the silliest thing drummers can possibly talk about IMO, may I recommend that you listen to Mr. Gadd's solo on Steely Dan's Aja, and his playing on Chick Corea's Leprechaun, to get a taste of what he can do when hes not plain grooving.

You talked about the "guy coming in second."
You dont happen to know who he is by any chance do you? Im kinda interested in this.

__________________"If they tell you no pain no gain... shoot them." -Jim Chapin

The difference between Gadd and Porcaro is that it takes twenty years to learn to play Fifty Ways to Leave Your Love, right, where as, you can do Rosanna in just about 19. Actually, I think Rosanna is the harder groove because he executes those ghost notes so fast, at about 160 QPM.

Like Aydee says, Gadd was the benchmark. I think he was the drummer of our generation. There were many others but when people look back they can see Gadd as this guy who took the rudiments of corp drumming and made them groove. He integrated that whole element of drumming into pop and jazz drumming in a Big Way, and we love him for it.

By the time Steve got to NYC in 1972, Rick had already established himself there and had much more experience playing the newer groove-based styles, whereas Gadd had none, as his background was almost entirely in jazz, classical, or the corps.

So Rick showed Steve the ropes, he took to it VERY quickly, and the rest is history.

Rick showed Steve the ropes, he took to it VERY quickly, and the rest is history.

I guess I had it backwards. Thanks for the correction. As an aside, the tribute to Gadd organized by the Armand Zildjian family has Rick playing on it and he talks about their long association & friendship.

I suppose the beautiful thing about Mr. Gadd's playing is the way he can make simple rudiments sound so good, but I wouldn't put him in the same category of chops as, say, Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati.

And thats a good thing....
Please don't put him in the same category as Lang and Virgil cause honestly not everyone wants to hear two hours of double bass- metric molecular- multi pedal ostinatos til your brain explodes!

Some people actually enjoy listening to tasty feel based playing with dynamics and musical subtlties where you can listen and actually tap your feet to the groove....

I'm sorry if I'm offending you guys, but that's my honest opinion of him; I honestly don't think he is the be-all-end-all of session drummers. There are other groovers out there in this drumming world that deserve a listen and some praise as well.

thats typical for today. many folks tell us their "honest opinion", but they simply forget,
that to have an opinion means not to say its so and so, but means to have a deep impact on what they tell us their opinion.
Dr Funky nails this case! his deepest opinion talks about nothing.
to compare gadd with Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati shows
he is not knowing what he is talking about.
sad.

Hellow,
Haven't read all the posts so excuse me if this had already been noticed,
But I think there is something wrong on the Steve Gadd Info's page,
His set-up it says

Quote:

Hardware

Yamaha, DFP-9310 Double Pedal

But if u look well at his Hi-hat pedal u see it dw5000 hardware hi-hat,,
Maybe something for the mods to change,, it might be a cnsidnce that he used it there but not as usual drumkit idno,, just wanted to say :P

I was wondering if anyone else on this forum has ever heard "Last Breath of an MC" by Andre Nickatina? He takes the "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" groove and turns it into his own song. I usually hate when rappers take old songs and rap over them, but Nickatina actually pulls it off.

I was wondering if anyone else on this forum has ever heard "Last Breath of an MC" by Andre Nickatina? He takes the "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" groove and turns it into his own song. I usually hate when rappers take old songs and rap over them, but Nickatina actually pulls it off.

There was some parody song by Weird Al Called "50 ways so leave Osama" or something like that.

__________________"If they tell you no pain no gain... shoot them." -Jim Chapin